"What's wrong?"

As Axel hesitated, Teruria noticed he was troubled. His expression revealed everything. She approached him, concern etched on her face.

"Are you feeling sick...? Should we take a break for today?"

Axel still wasn't sure what to say, but he felt grateful that Teruria had come to him. He thought that if it was with her, he could confide a little. After all, she had access to the system long ago.

"Can you come with me for a moment, Ria?" Axel asked, his tone serious. "I want to talk to you alone. It's important."

"Huh? W-With me...?"

Teruria blushed, her thoughts wandering into precarious territory.

"Sure...!" She nodded, a smile spreading across her face. "I'll make sure you're satisfied~!"

"Hmm?"

Axel was puzzled by her wording but led the witch princess to the nearby receiving room. That space should offer better soundproofing and more privacy than the dining hall.

As Axel locked the door, Teruria stood before the sofa, fidgeting and blushing.

"S-So...? What should I do?" she asked.

"Ah, actually," Axel began, pulling a collar from his inventory. "I wanted to consult you about this."

Teruria's gaze fell on the collar, and her face flushed bright red.

"Is this... for a new play?!" she gasped. "S-So Husband is interested in such things too... W-Well, I don't really mind, but..."

"Huh? Wait. I think you're misunderstanding something." Axel raised a hand to halt the excited loli witch. "First, please check this item's description in the inventory. You can do that, right?"

"Y-Yes..."

Teruria complied.

She grabbed the collar and placed it in the inventory before checking the item's description. As she read the content, her eyes darting from left to right, she gasped in shock.

"This is..." she whispered, stunned. "A wedding ring?"

Of course, she reached the same conclusion Axel had.

"I thought so too," he confessed.

"But what I'm worried about is... Do you think equipping this would let others see the system too? And how do you think they would react if I asked them to wear this?"

Navi and Mimir were currently off-duty and wouldn't return until noon. Ever since they began to get along so well, the two system spirits frequently requested "vacations" at random intervals—of course, always together.

While Axel had grown accustomed to this, he felt slightly inconvenienced now that he truly needed their input on the situation.

As the user of the Harem Settlement System, he could summon them back instantly. However, doing so might leave either or both of them in a bad mood, so he preferred not to force the issue. Instead, he sought a second opinion from another (accidental) system user, Teruria.

"I... think so," she nodded. "Since it mentions the union of souls, which is basically the same as in the Witch's Kiss case, it should be similar."

"As expected..." Axel sighed.

Although it was already apparent, hearing someone else reach the same conclusion added to its credibility.

"As for the latter question, I don't think the others would refuse," she continued. "At least, Eve, Fenrir, Arianne, and Maria wouldn't mind. I'm sure of that. As for the rest... I'd say it's a 50-50 chance."

As she spoke, she retrieved the collar once more and handed it to Axel.

"Since you're planning to make us yours anyway, please do the honors," she smiled, extending her neck forward. "I want to go first!"

"You..."

Axel could only sigh. But since she could already see the system either way, this wouldn't really change anything.

With a steady hand, Axel broke the collar in half and placed it around Teruria's neck. Then, he closed it with a resounding wooden click.

"...!"

As soon as the Soul Seal was locked, it burst into bright light, causing Axel and Teruria to squint their eyes. When the light faded, they realized that something had changed...

"Where did the collar go?" Axel asked.

No matter where he looked, he couldn't see the collar at all.

Teruria, of course, couldn't feel it either.

Since she couldn't see her neck without a mirror, she asked Axel to check. She popped open a few buttons on her dress, revealing her chest, and asked, "Husband, do you see anything different?"

"Hmm..."

Of course, Axel was already accustomed to seeing her bare body.

However, that didn't change the fact that it was a sight that could excite any man. Even Axel felt a slight increase in his pulse for a moment. "Oh, I see it!" After a few seconds, he found something.

Around the middle of Ria's neck, a "tattoo" had formed.

Its design resembled the collar's drawings, featuring various lines and curves that created a tribal pattern. The black ink of the design stood out prominently over her white skin, now that he was aware of it.

"Looks like the collar turned into an imprint around your neck."

He said this while lifting Ria's chin to get a closer look. Without hesitation, he used his other hand to touch the tattoo directly, feeling the surface of her skin.

The tattoo didn't seem like a normal one. Axel could feel mana emanating from it...

"Hmm?"

Then, he noticed Ria's throat move.

He also saw that her body was slightly trembling.

Curious, he stood up while still holding her chin, gazing into her face. It was then that he realized she had her eyes closed, her lips puckered as if waiting for a kiss.

"…"

From how red her cheeks were, Teruria felt embarrassed... but still didn't stop. She waited for Axel's response to her silent invitation. Finding her actions endearing, Axel pulled her chin up and forward, planting a short, playful kiss on her lips.

"Ah..."

Ria opened her eyes, her cheeks relaxing.

She then reached up, touching the tattoo of the Soul Seal around her neck, and smiling. "E-Ehehe... Now, I truly belong to you, Husband..."

Axel smiled and shook his head.

Given their mana stats, with Axel towering over hers, he was confident that the covenant from their Witch's Kiss would last forever. In short... "You always were," he whispered before kissing her again.

This time, the kiss was longer and deeper.

It was only when a knock echoed from the door, prompting them to separate, that they stopped.

Axel moved to unlock the door and checked who was there.

"Sir Axel..."

Standing at the entrance was the little princess—Eve!

She gazed at Axel's face, and then to Ria behind him, who was flustered, and hummed in dissatisfaction.

"You... were kissing Ria just now, weren't you?" she said, pouting slightly. "That's unfair! I demand the same treatment!"

Axel raised his hand in surrender, preventing the little girl from pushing him back.

"Wait, there's a reason for that!" he said.

After explaining the collar and how the kiss was meant to "seal the deal" (made up on the spot), Eve quickly extended her neck, cleared her throat, and whispered, "T-Then, do it for me too!"

Naturally, after putting the collar, Axel had to kiss her as well.

Moments later, Arianne, Maria, and Fenrir demanded the same treatment. Only Beatrix, Cherry, and Nina were left. But...

The day hadn't even begun yet, but Axel was already feeling tired!

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